


Past, Present, and Future Vignettes

by CaryceJade



Series: Past, Present, and Future [7]
Category: Endeavour (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015), Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, Families of Choice, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Illnesses, Love, Multi, Relationship(s), Tough Decisions, hard conversations
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-05-31 17:32:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6479887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaryceJade/pseuds/CaryceJade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is all of the stuff that does not fit in specific stories in my Past, Present, and Future universe. Most are one-shots or shorts, possibly even drabbles, but I will try to always tell you at what point in the canon of my AU they take place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place a few days after the movie, after V-Day.
> 
> I don't own this, by the way, I just play games with these lovely characters.

The table was full on all sides, every knight that was not deceased physically present, even if Morgana had to apparate to wherever they were and fetch them herself. This meeting was critical, after all. Today, a new Arthur would be nominated and voted on, the replacements for the three knights that had sided with Chester King would be discussed, and some of the issues that cleaning up after V-Day had brought to the surface would be addressed.

Merlin sat at the head of the table, since, in the absence of an Arthur, he was the leader. Morgana sat to his right, Galahad, who was still pale and bruised, and sported a large bandage on the side of his head, was seated to his left. 

There were four empty chairs at the table, one that most understood why Percival studiously avoided looking at, though they failed to see a slight glint of amusement in his eyes, or that his wedding band was back on his finger, and three empty spots. It was understood that Percival’s candidate, who incidentally was his younger sister, would fill one chair. The second would more than likely be filled by Galahad’s candidate, who had been the one to see what the former Arthur had been doing, though he did not realize he would be offered a place yet. At least five knights, not including Galahad, had told Merlin in no uncertain terms that they would stand for nothing less. The third chair, well, unless there was one more big reveal, they would probably have to hold a trial to select a new knight. 

“First order of business.” Merlin looked up from his clipboard, then raised his voice. “Lancelot, get your arse in here.” 

A collective gasp rang out as a very-much-alive James Spencer walked in the room and sat down beside Percival.

“How? We all saw…?” Kay made a gesture with his hand.

“I’d rather not talk about it. Suffice to say, I _was_ dead for about twelve hours. Ask Morgana if you're truly curious.”

Morgana stood up. She was a tall woman with dark brown hair, and Kay had known her as long as she had been an agent. She could appear intimidating if necessary,but usually did not need to. “All right, I’ll only go over this once, and not in great detail. I have links with all the knights who were my candidates. I felt Lancelot die, and called in a one-time favor with a non-human friend of mine that can repair bodies. He and I have been discussing how to coax souls to return to bodies for several years now, and had discovered that we could see the soul when I performed a human summoning spell at the same time that he performed a youkai summoning spell, but it only works if all the remains are in one place and less than twenty-four hours have passed. We then had to convince the soul to return to the body. I don't see it as something that can or should be used often, nor should it be. Death is a tricky bugger to mess with, and too much can go wrong if you're not careful. As to why I did not just immediately take him home, that would have been painting a giant target on anybody he was close to, considering that Chester King deliberately sent him into a trap.” She sounded angry as she spoke the last sentence, each word being bitten out.

Kay nodded. “Glad to see you back, in any case.” 

“Next, Miss Morton, Mr. Unwin, come in here, please.”

Roxy and Eggsy entered in tandem, drawing a few knowing looks.

“Now,” Merlin said, “there are three seats empty: Geraint, Bors, and Yvain. Do you have a preference, either of you?”

They looked at each other, unspoken communication taking place, then they both said, “No preference.”

“Very well. In this mug are three slips of paper. Miss Morton, as the winner of the initial trials, you have first pick.”

Roxy pulled a slip out of the mug. “Yvain.” 

“Take your seat, Yvain.” Merlin then turned to Eggsy. “Mr. Unwin, you noticed a threat that was sitting under our noses and acted decisively to eliminate it instead of walking away, as you could have done. You also have a large heart, and have, at various times during the course of this trial, demonstrated that, even to complete strangers. I think I speak for all of us when I say that you deserve a seat at this table. Pick a name.”

Eggsy pulled a slip of paper out of the mug. “Bors.”

“Take your seat, Bors.” 

After Eggsy had seated himself beside Roxy, Merlin put down his clipboard and said, “Unless there are any suggestions, we will need to start a cohort to find a new Geraint.” No suggestions came, so he then added, “If you are presenting a candidate, they need to be here one week from today. Our next order of business is to elect a new Arthur. Are there any nominations?”

There was a moment of silence, then Bedivere spoke up. “I nominate the present Morgana for the position of Arthur.”

“I second it,” Kay said. 

“All right, any others?” Merlin asked, noting something on his clipboard.

There was complete silence at the table. Once Morgana was nominated, she was not permitted to speak, though she looked as though she wanted to plead for someone to nominate anyone else.

Merlin blinked, then made a humming noise. “Very well. Kay, pass out the marbles. Everyone receives a black marble and a white marble. White means yes, black means no. Everyone will walk up to the box, put the marble of their choice in, put their other marble back in the bag, and sit back down. Caradoc and I will publicly count the votes. If there is not a two-thirds majority, we start over with the nominations until there is one. Any questions?” There were none.

After the votes had been cast, Caradoc and Merlin set the box on the table and opened it. They pulled each marble out, showing them to the table. Every single one of them was white. 

“Carrie,” Merlin said, “you are no longer Morgana, but Arthur.”

She looked vaguely horrified at the prospect, but nodded and stood up, switching seats with Merlin. “I did not seek to be Arthur, nor did I desire it, but I'll fulfill the position to the best of my ability. We’re going to have to find a new Morgana or Mordred, though. I have a couple of people in mind…”

“ _No_.” Everyone looked over at Percival. “You will _not_ offer this to Robert.” He could feel Lancelot’s hand on his arm, but it wasn't going to stop him. “It nearly drove him crazy to…”

Carrie held up a hand to stop him from saying anything further. “Alastair,” she said quietly, “I have no intention of asking Robert. While I do have people in mind, Robert is not one of them, primarily because he has no auror training, though his skills in potions and chemistry are impressive. Secondly, my cousin would be rather put out with me if I pinched his protege.” She looked directly at Percival now, sincere regret on her face. “The only reason Robert knew anything at all was because he and Everett happened to be at the cabin harvesting potions ingredients when I brought James in. I hate unbreakable oaths, and I hated binding him to one, but I hate memory modification charms even worse, and his skills in warding were needed.” 

Percival only looked a little mollified, but nodded. 

“I intend to ask my first choice tonight,” Carrie went on to say. “Starting tomorrow night, I want to have dinner with each one of you individually. Some of you I know, some of you quite well, but there are a few that I do not know well or at all. During that dinner, you can ask me anything. I don't promise to answer, but any answers I give will be the truth to the best of my knowledge.” She gave Eggsy a smile. “The newest knight goes first, so, Bors, this is my address. I will see you at six-thirty.” She handed Eggsy a slip of paper.

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing repairs and going over budgets. Carrie wanted to get all of the repairs done and see where any security holes were before doing anything else, and wanted everyone to rest and recuperate for at least two weeks before they began taking missions again. They wouldn't be doing the world any favors if they didn't see to their own welfare, after all.


	2. After-Dinner Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The conversation Eggsy and Carrie have after dinner, or in which Carrie rationalizes, prophesizes, and reveals things. Eggsy also realizes that magic and being long-lived is a daunting, pricy thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are spoilers for Reassembly here if you're reading that, but only a couple, like that Sirius is found innocent, Regulus is alive, James Potter only posed as Harry's father, Ron ended up with Fay Dunbar in the end, and mpreg is possible with limitations.
> 
> In Reassembly, nobody ends up in a canon pairing, just because I think different circumstances would alter people just a teensy bit, plus I have a sick sense of humor.
> 
> I also reference the Endeavour episode "Neverland", as I have only seen as far as series two, so that part of this AU is AU after that episode.
> 
> And I am setting up my accidental ot3 from my tumblr...*hides from rotten fruit, flying objects, and the occasional rubber chicken*

“How’d you manage to keep quiet about somethin’ that big? You _knew_ ‘e was hurtin’, but you still didn't say _anythin’_ until we were all on that plane to Kentucky.” Eggsy’s voice and body were stiff with outrage. “And lettin’ Harry go there, _knowin’_ he’d go through that!”

Carrie sighed, a sound that belied her true age, and turned towards Eggsy instead of looking out the window. As deceptively young as her face and body were, he was suddenly struck by how old her eyes were. They were the eyes of someone who had seen more terrible things than he really wanted to think about. “It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do,” she replied with the lightest tremble to her voice, taking a sip of wine as though to steady her nerves before she went on. “I did it because I knew that, were James to suddenly appear, alive, at that point in time, as though he had never been dead at all, it would put anyone that he valued in danger: Alastair, Roxanne, Robert, their parents, his own mother and sister and brother-in-law, and their children. I didn't even tell his own mother because it would have put her in danger, and I consider her one of my closest friends. Fay and Ron figured it out and confronted me about a month after the funeral, so I had to bind them to an unbreakable oath like I did with Robert. Even if she's my goddaughter, and I taught her occlumency myself, and my cousin, Everett, taught Ron occlumency during the Second Wizarding War, I wasn't taking any chances. Isaac Dunbar, Fay’s father, was my partner in the auror corps, and he made me swear an unbreakable oath before he died in a raid on a Death Eater hideout that I would look out for his daughter, his fiance, and her son. I try to keep my promises, especially when my life and magic are on the line. With Harry, I couldn't prevent him from going there, but I could try to prevent his death.” 

“Unbreakable oaths can do that?!” Eggsy looked at her in horror. He hadn't realized how much was put on the line with that type of oath.

“Yes. You swear on your magic, and/or your life, depending on the gravity of the oath you're making that you will or will not do a particular set of actions. If you break the oath, you lose those things. As a rule, my family hates making them or putting anyone else under them unless there's no other way around it, but we hate memory manipulation and alteration even more. We always put a loophole in the oaths when our only option is to use one, but it's still not something we like to do.” 

“So Alastair’s brother really _couldn't_ tell ‘im anythin’, no matter how bad he might've wanted to.” It was not a question, but a statement made in deep sadness.

“No, and that devastated Robert even more than the idea of losing James, who has been a part of his life since he was five years old. He wasn't oblivious to how much pain Alastair was in, far from it in fact, and it really tore at him to not be able to just tell him, or to even just be able to give him a broad hint that James was alive and safe in a cabin on the portion of my grandfather’s property that I will inherit on his death in North Carolina.” She sighed. “They need to sit down and talk about it, really, but Robert is giving Alastair a little space and time to let everything start to settle down with getting James back before he asks for a face-to-face conversation that he knows will probably be extremely emotional for both of them. They really are quite close, in spite of the age difference. I think he and Roxy were actually going to meet up tonight to talk about things.” She gave Eggsy a pained look. “It truly was a coincidence that Everett and Robert were there when I brought James there. It was the most secure place that I could think of with the small amount of time that I had to plan, which was only a few hours.”

“And Harry? How did you meet him?” 

“We met when he was almost six in a well-off part of Oxford. It was September of 1969, and I was actually pregnant with my first child. My husband was one of the officers involved in investigating the murder of his father and an attack on his mother due to the greed of his half-uncle. It eventually came out that Harry was actually the intended target, but his father died and his mother was gravely injured protecting him. I coaxed a scared boy out from under a bed, and he wound up spending a lot of time with us after that, as Peter and I were two of the only people his mother trust with him after that. He and my cousin, Everett’s, daughter were close in age. You know, the tall redhead that reamed him out for getting banged up again? That's Amy, Everett’s eldest child.”

“She don't seem like someone you wanna mess with.” She really didn't. Her husband looked deceptively small and frail, several inches shorter than his wife, with a slight build, but Eggsy had found in the brief conversation they had while Amy and Harry had alternately yelled at, argued with, embraced, and cried with each other that he was kind and highly observant and intelligent, as well as the fact that they had four children, of whom Harry was a godfather to the youngest, a daughter named Stella, who was around the same age as Daisy.

“She’s not, especially when it comes to family and friends. She is, like me, fiercely protective of those she cares about. She knows very well about taking risks to save those she cares about” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “I think I might suggest to Sirius to reach out to Alastair. He would probably best be able to relate to what he’s going through. He thought his brother was dead for almost sixteen years, and it was done for similar reasons. Granted, a brother is not the same as a spouse, but...”

“In all o’ this, what made ya mess wi’ death of all things, and could you’ve done it wi’ my father?" Eggsy met her eyes, brows knit in horrified confusion.

“I took the rather momentous risks to bring James back from the dead and to prevent Harry’s death in Kentucky because I’m a true seer, as are nearly all females in my family, and I had a vision of what would happen if all three of you died. All three of you had to still be alive after Kentucky for Kingsman to truly be saved and restructured after the damage Chester King had done. It went far deeper and far nastier than just his classism and arrogance. Quite frankly, he was tapping into things no one, magic or muggle, has any business tapping into, hopefully out of ignorance of the costs, and I’m only beginning to scratch the surface, with Archie, I mean Merlin's help, of what all he was doing.” She drew in a deep breath, giving a slight smirk as he caught on that she had told him Merlin's actual name. She then sobered.“Lee’s death was, unfortunately, a fixed point that could not be changed. Had he not died that day, he would have died in a worse way later on.” She gave him a sad smile. “I truly regret his death, as much as I regret the other deaths that I could not change or prevent, such as Isaac Dunbar’s, both of my husbands thus far, who died of a fast-spreading cancer and a heart attack respectively, my godson, who was also named James, and the lovely woman who posed as his wife to protect her actual husband and their unborn child, his parents, who were close friends of mine in school, as well as fellow aurors, my closest friend, my own brother, my second-born son, and too many others over the years. I remember them all, and, if I live to be very old, I will see many more pass before me.” She laughed softly, and changed the subject. “You might get some information as to what Lee was like as a candidate from Harry, but James would actually be the best source of information. They were much like I saw you and Roxy behave during training.” She smirked. “The two of you during the parachute test was like watching James and Lee all over again, in the same roles. They clicked right off, and were so evenly matched on their tests that Harry and I were almost to the point of having them play ‘rock, paper, scissors’ to determine the winner, as well as being fast friends. We had already discussed me taking whichever one ultimately came in second into my department. While I do use magic and work with potions, I also need people willing to think outside the box, and both of them were very good at that.”

“Why weren't you there that day, James was your proposal, wasn't he?” He was genuinely curious, now that he knew a little bit about how his father actually died.

“I had to testify as an auror in a trial that wrapped up the end of the second Wizarding War that could not be rescheduled, though Eugene Cummings, the Minister of Magic, did try to do so, or arrange for another Potions Mistress or Master who also had studied muggle Chemistry to do so in my stead, such as Everett. You don't know how many times I wish it had been, though, as I said, Lee’s death was a fixed point, and I get no warnings about fixed points, only alterable ones. If someone is truly meant to die at a particular time, it will happen one way or another.” She gave Eggsy a discerning look. “I have only proposed three candidates over the years, mostly because I did not always have the time a candidate deserves due to the demands of the Morgana position. Morgana and Mordred, depending on the gender, always pick their own successors when they choose or need to depart, though there is a protocol in place if one dies in the line of duty. It's never had to be used, but it does exist.”

“How long were you Morgana, and who did you ask to replace you? Alastair was very...clear...about not wantin’ it to be ‘is brother.”

“I took over as Morgana in 1980, a few months after I gave birth to my youngest child, Corrine, and a few weeks after Isaac Dunbar was killed. My predecessor had been asked to return to the front lines, and I wished to step back a bit, as Corrine had been unexpected. There are only two deaths of the many I’ve witnessed over the years that I still have nightmares about. One is Isaac’s. The other is James’. Isaac’s, I saw happen because I was there, and had to confirm that it was indeed him. I didn’t let Sarah see his body, and still haven't, and probably never will, tell James or Fay what happened that night. I felt James’ as it happened. I know exactly how he died, as if I wouldn't have been able to figure it out when I saw.” The expression on her face made Eggsy morbidly curious about what she saw. He knew Valentine and Gazelle were involved, so he had some disturbing suspicions. “Knitting a body back together is a delicate and tricky business,” she said in a detached tone, as though trying to separate herself from what she was remembering. “I had to do it exactly right, even though I didn't have much time. We only had twenty-four hours to secure the premises, repair his body, restart all vital processes, and coax his soul to return, and by the time my youkai friend and I had arrived, six hours had already passed. It took me four hours to do the repairs, and another two for us to bring him back, since the spells are so long, and have to be cast exactly right.” She shook her head. “I know he’ll have nightmares about dying, and of being dead that will probably plague him for years, but I won't seal off those memories. Buried things have a nasty habit of resurfacing, Eggsy, always remember that. If you remember little else about how the mind works, remember that.” She looked terribly saddened. “I learned that from watching my first husband process something horrible that happened to him as a child. He buried it, but eventually, things happened to make it resurface. Look up my Wikipedia entry, under my professional name, Caroline Davis, chemist. Follow the links, and you’ll stumble across a large scandal involving a boys’ school, abuse, and multiple murders.” Her mouth tightened, and she looked back out the window. “But I'm getting sidetracked. I asked two people to take over my old position. It really is too demanding for one person. One is James’ brother-in-law, Ron. The other is actually your friend, Jamal. The ‘juvenile facility’ he attended was actually Hogwarts, and he is an auror. He infiltrated an operation where a group of wizards were selling a dangerous combination of potions disguised as methamphetamines and opiates to muggles. Before he shut it down shortly after you started training, there had been thirty-eight deaths as a result. He’s good at his job, but now, he and Ryan need to disappear for a while, especially since, if everything goes well, they’ll be parents in about seven months, and the muggle world is not exactly receptive to unconventional methods of achieving parenthood.”

Eggsy raised his eyebrows, picking up on what Carrie was implying. “You're sayin’ that Jamal and Ryan are havin’ a baby? Together? How?” It was frightening to think that was the least strange and surreal part of this whole conversation.

“There is a potion that enables two males or two females to have a baby together, as long as one parent had magic, though it is risky. I’m telling you because I have their permission to do so. But back to your other question, yes, Alastair was adamant that I not offer the position to Robbie, and I understand why and respect it. He does tend to be protective towards both of his siblings, and they of him. Roxy is more like him personality-wise, but he and Robbie look and sound incredibly alike, though Robbie is the more outgoing and extroverted of the two of them. From what I gather, they spent a lot of time with him and James growing up, not because their parents handed them off to them or anything like that, but voluntarily. Fay was pretty much an adult when James and Alastair officially got together a few weeks after their third mission together, but Roxy and Robbie were only six and five. From what I understand, they were unexpected, since Alastair was almost seventeen when Roxy was born, almost eighteen when Robbie was born.”

Eggsy nodded. “She mentioned that.”

Carrie nodded gravely. “I know she’s angry and hurt with me, and I can't blame her, or begrudge her of her anger. She spent several months trying to hold together the shattered pieces of her brother.” She then looked directly at Eggsy, leaving him no doubt that she knew about Alastair's breakdown during their training. She started to say something else, but then her voice then took on an odd hollow tone, and her eyes, normally an intense blue, seemed to be all colors and none at the same time. “You have a large heart, Gary Unwin, and much love to give. Your fate and those of Alastair Morton and James Spencer are inextricably intertwined. None of you can truly be without the other two. You are so much more joined than in pieces, and things have a way of coming together.” She then seemed to come back to herself, reaching a hand out to steady herself.

“What was that?” Eggsy asked, truly perplexed. 

“A vision. True seers usually remember their visions, unlike with the more vague prophecies. The three are you are bound together: the one who loses to gain, the one who defends, and the one who lives twice. I can't say with certainty how the three of you are bound together, but I have a feeling that it will work itself out.” She smiled, giving Eggsy a sense that she wasn't telling him something, though he wasn't quite sure what.


	3. A Simple Gathering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eggsy is invited to a gathering when he becomes involved with Alastair and James.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for homophobia, implied deaths, and alcohol use.

Eggsy knocked on the door of Roxy's flat. To say that he was a little nervous about the people that he would be either meeting or getting to know better was an understatement. 

When Roxy had found out that he, James, and Alastair were now officially together, and had been for almost a week, she had said that she needed to get everyone together and make a night of telling sweet, funny and perhaps slightly embarrassing stories of James and Alastair as teenagers and young adults, though Eggsy wagered that there would be some serious conversations as well. Apparently, it was a tradition that had started when Fay had gotten with Ron, and she had to suffer through it when she started dating Fred, so she was just sharing the love, so to speak. 

“I know Fay and Ron want to be there, Fred’s coming, and Robbie wants to as well. I intend to contact Paul and Zelda Jakes, Carrie's son and daughter, because they have a few videos of James as a teenager and young adult that are hilarious.” At least, that was what she had said to Eggsy when she had basically cornered him and not left him any option but to give in to her wishes. 

Eggsy had raised his eyebrows at that. While he had seen pictures of James as a child and as a teenager the night he had that dinner with Carrie, and several of them were with who he assumed were Paul and Zelda, though a couple were with Fay, as she was Carrie’s goddaughter, the fact that there was apparently video evidence of James being goofy was intriguing, though, considering James’ sense of humor, he wasn't too surprised. He had only seen a couple of pictures of Alastair as a child, or even at around his age, so he was definitely interested in what could be found out there. 

Roxy opened the door and showed him into her flat. “Fred, Ron and Fay are already here. Robbie should be here any minute, and Paul and Zelda are getting the food.” She led Eggsy into the den. 

Ron and Fay were seated on the couch, and both waved at Eggsy. He worked with Ron, as he was the new Mordred, and had been for about ten months now, but he had only seen Fay at the hangar when they had come back from Kentucky, and he would never have dared to interrupt the reunion between her and James. It had been obvious even then that the two of them were very close. Fred waved at him from over at the bar. Apparently, there was going to be alcohol involved in this little adventure. They were probably going to need it. 

He looked up and almost jumped as Robert entered the room. He and Alastair looked so much alike that it was almost scary, though Robert’s glasses had different frames, and he wore his hair a bit longer than his brother. The overall resemblance really was unnerving, though. Jamal had told him that they even sounded almost exactly alike, and had even pranked him with it over the phone the summer before his last year at Hogwarts. He told Eggsy that it took almost thirty minutes to realize that he wasn't talking to Robbie, and that Robbie and Alastair were both laughing before they took pity on him. He held out a hand to Eggsy. “You must be Eggsy. I'm Robbie,” he said as they shook hands. Jamal had not been exaggerating. Their voices were pitched almost exactly alike, though Robbie had slightly different inflections. 

It was about ten minutes later when Paul and Zelda arrived with more takeaway Chinese food than Eggsy thought eight people were capable of consuming, though, having seen how much food Ron and Fred alone were able to eat in one sitting, he was not completely certain on that score. 

As everyone put food on their plates and got drinks, Roxy and Robbie pulled out photo albums and a few VHS cassettes, Fay pulled some out of her bag, and Paul and Zelda produced several as well. 

“We’ll go first,” Roxy said, indicating to Robbie and herself. She then put the first cassette into the player.

* * *

The first video that Roxy produced was of a nervous-looking teenager who looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he sat down in a chair. The man holding the camera said, evident joy in his voice, “Now, Al, your mum’s going to be bringing someone here for you to meet.” He then spoke up. “Carol, you can bring the baby in now.”

A woman who reminded Eggsy of Roxy, though with darker hair, brought in a small bundle. She placed it in the teenage Alastair’s arms, saying, “This is Roxanne.”

The camera focused on Alastair as he grinned at the bundle, pulling the blanket back a bit to look at her face. 

“You were a cute baby, Rox,” Eggsy said as the baby grabbed Alastair's finger and he started laughing.

* * *

The video went to another scene. The teenager looked a little older, a little less gangly, and there was a little girl sitting on his lap. She had on a blue sundress and blue clips held her hair in pigtails. 

The same woman brought in another bundle. “Alastair, Roxy, this is Robert.” She place the bundle into Alastair's waiting arm. He gently pulled back the blanket to get a good look at his face, smiling as a curious Roxy peered into the bundle. “Baby!” she crowed. 

“Yes, baby,” Alastair laughed. “We have to always look out for him, Roxy. Will you help me do that?” 

Roxy laughed, poking the baby's cheek, gasping as he grabbed her fingers, causing Alastair to laugh quietly.

* * *

“Do you remember when this was taken?” Roxy asked Robbie, indicating to a picture. 

Robbie looked at the picture his sister was pointing at. It was of Alastair, with a young boy and girl, who could only have been three or four at the most, sitting on his lap. Judging by the clothes, it was around Christmas. “I think I do, Rox. Al took us to see the lights while Mum and Dad went to that party that they described as bloody boring. Al didn't get on with a lot of the young adults there, so he volunteered to take us for the night instead of Mum and Dad hiring a sitter.”

Roxy's mouth tightened, making Eggsy suspect that “didn't get on” was an understatement on Robbie's part. “Mum and Dad said they only went because they had to make an appearance because of Dad’s job, and left as soon as they could. They referred to a lot of the other guests’ young adult offspring as ‘homophobic little shits', and never tried to make Al go after he came out to them.”

Eggsy hadn't yet met Alastair’s parents or James’ mother yet, the relationship was still far too new, but that raised his respect for them up a notch. Most parents in that social set would have dragged their offspring to such events regardless of how uncomfortable they were. 

Robbie nodded. “I decked Gregory Fordham for referring to him as a faggot when I was nine, and I recall that you slapped Jessica Tate when you were sixteen for something similar. Neither one of us got in trouble with Mum and Dad for it, either.”

Roxy nodded, smiling. “Mum and Dad taught us to, first and foremost, be loyal to each other,” she explained to Eggsy. “Al’s always been protective of us, and we’re protective of him.”

Eggsy nodded. He had seen that characteristic of Roxy when Alastair had broken down when they were training. He even, now that he was aware of what had been at stake, felt some compassion for the situation Robbie had been in at the time. He couldn't imagine having to let a sibling that he loved suffer in order to protect them. Could he do that for Daisy if it ever came down to it? He liked to think he could. 

“I’ve never understood homophobia,” Ron said, uncharacteristically serious, even for him. Fred nodded in agreement, also unusually somber. 

“Mum and Dad would have killed us if we were rude to or didn't like someone solely because of who they loved,” Fred added. “Dad’s even said that it's one muggle value he hopes none of us ever emulate.”

Fay spoke up. “It's part of why James doesn't have a relationship with his biological father. It came to a head when I was eleven, a couple of weeks before I started Hogwarts. James was seventeen, and he came home almost sick from crying because of the things that were said to him. Mum was livid, and I don't think I’ve _ever_ seen Carrie that angry before or since.”

“I remember that,” Zelda said. “To say Mum was angry would be like describing a hurricane as a small breeze. She almost lost control of her magic and broke every window in the house before Dad and Uncle Dev got her calmed down.” She looked over at Eggsy and clarified, “Accidental magic is very rare in adults unless they're feeling very strong emotion, and the fastest way to make Mum angry is to hurt someone she cares about. When she came home after hiding James, she took a beater bat to several ugly vases until they couldn't be repaired anymore.”

Ron nodded in agreement. “You don't see accidental magic beyond the age of eleven or twelve very often unless very strong emotions are involved.

* * *

There was a picture of Alastair asleep in a hammock. Eggsy estimated that he was in his early twenties. On either side of him, Roxy and Robbie were sleeping as well, a picture book dangling from Alastair's fingers.

* * *

A family portrait, with two older adults that Eggsy estimated to be in their mid-forties was next. Alastair was standing behind them, and Roxy was on her father's lap, while Robbie sat on his mother's. 

“I don't mention him often,” Roxy said quietly, “but my father's pretty awesome. He never told me that I couldn't do something just because I was a girl, and supported me while I figured out what I wanted to do. I got a degree in mathematics, then Al recruited me. Mum’s pretty amazing too, but my father took a lot of criticism by not pressuring me to be a typical socialite. He said he wanted a daughter who was comfortable with who she was, not, as he put it, ‘a vapid little twit’.”

“They encouraged us to pursue what we were interested in,” Robbie commented. “They said that life was far too short to spend it doing a job we hated. They supported me studying Chemistry at uni, while also doing a Potions mastery and warding internship with Everett Latham.”

“Everett taught us basic warding in seventh-year Defense,” Ron said. “He had to cover a unit on algebra before we were able to even ward letters or notebooks.”

Robbie grinned. “‘You have to be able to do this in your sleep.’ Then he would assign more equations.”

* * *

The video was a little shaky, and it focused on a pretty, dark-haired woman and a little boy with slightly curling dark brown hair. The woman was holding a bundle of pink blankets.

“Jamie, this is your sister,” the woman said, smiling. 

The camera was set on what Eggsy assumed was a tripod of some sort, and a man came into view. He was a tall, lean man with dark brown hair. He sat down on the other side of the woman. “Her name is Fay, Jamie.”

The little boy gravely nodded, then bent and kissed the baby on the head.

* * *

Eggsy watched as an seven-year-old James blew the candles out on his birthday cake with a one-year-old Fay on his lap. He then pulled the candles out of the cake, giving Fay half of them to suck frosting off of, kissing her cheek as she giggled. 

“Our father died a couple of weeks before James’ sixth birthday,” Fay explained. “I was about two months old. Mum said that, if he hadn't died, and they’d married, he intended to adopt James. Carrie, her brother, and a couple of their cousins had enough pull that they could have rushed it through if it had worked out that way. She also said that my father was more of a father to James in three years than his biological father has ever been.”

Eggsy nodded. “Mum is seeing someone now that I like, and ‘e’s good wit' Daisy. If he and Mum married and ‘e wanted to adopt Daisy, it wouldn't bother me. ‘E’s been more of a father to her in six months than Dean ever was.”

* * *

“I had forgotten that this was also on this tape,” Paul said softly. 

Eggsy looked back up at the screen. The woman was obviously Carrie, and he assumed, given that he vaguely resembled Paul, mostly in coloring, that the man was her first husband. It was plain that the two people loved each other a great deal. 

“Dad,” Zelda said quietly, watching her parents interact on the screen. Fay was smiling sadly. 

Eggsy watched as a much younger Carrie laughed as the man wrapped her in an embrace, then turned and kissed him. 

“He went down so fast,” Paul said quietly. “I was twenty-four. We found out he was sick in August, and he was gone by November. He outlived Uncle Dev by a few weeks, but I'm glad he died before Phil did. I don't think he could have stood to outlive any of us.”

“Sometimes I don't know how Mum does it,” Zelda said. “She's lost so many people over the years: our father, Uncle Dev, Uncle Jim, Phil, Uncle Phillip, and that's just to name a few, yet she keeps putting herself out there, keeps loving people, even when she knows it won't always end well.”

Eggsy hadn't really thought of it that way before. He understood that loving was a risk anyway, but to keep doing it knowing that you were probably going to outlive nearly everyone around you by at least three centuries took a strength that he wasn't sure he would have in the same situation. 

He turned his attention back to the screen. A song he vaguely recognized from his childhood was playing, and Carrie and her husband were dancing. 

“Dad died in 1999,” Paul said. “She married Uncle Jim in 2002, and he died in 2009.”

* * *

The camera was shaking a bit, focusing on a tall, thin teenage boy who was hugging another teenage boy who was shorter and stockier. Eggsy assumed that the taller boy was James, and the shorter one was Paul. Once they started speaking, he was proven right. 

“No, really, you're my _best friend_. I love you _so_ much,” teenage James was slurring. 

“I love you too, but _where are my shoes_?” Paul slurred back. 

“You don't need shoes! You have superfeet!” James started giggling uncontrollably, and the camera shook a bit as Zelda started giggling too. 

Paul broke away from James and started doing some sort of grotesque parody of salsa dancing, singing “Superfeet, superfeet,” to a tune that Eggsy vaguely recognized as Rick James’ Super Freak. He was trying not to laugh outright, but that was pretty outrageous, especially when James joined in. Apparently, singing was _not_ a talent that James had. 

When the dancing changed to a bizarre can-can, Eggsy lost it, laughing until tears were in his eyes.

* * *

Fay opened a small photograph album, going to the first page. It was a picture of her in green dress robes, James standing with his arm around her shoulders. “My first day at St. Mungo's. He was away on a mission when I graduated Hogwarts, but Carrie made sure he got pictures. Her younger daughter, Corrine, graduated with Ron and me.” She grinned. “It was a couple of weeks after that mission that he and Alastair got together.”

* * *

Eggsy huffed out a laugh as he watched James and Alastair chasing Ron and Fay’s children around. He discovered that their eldest child, Elizabeth, was not Fay’s, but her mother had died suddenly before she was two. 

“We all knew each other, and had become friends in school during the war,” Fay said. “About a year after Millie died, Hermione and Lyn, George's partner, set us up on a blind date.”

* * *

It was nearly midnight when they got through all of the pictures and videos. A slightly tipsy Eggsy left to go back to his flat, humming “Super Freak” under his breath.


End file.
